Stringed musical instrument.



No. 653,550 Patented July l0, I900. E. EULEBT & A WALLENSTEIN. STRINGEDMUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

(Application filed Oct. 11, 1899. (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet I.

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No. 653,550. Patented July I0, 1900. E. EULEBT A. WALL-ENSTEIN.

STRINGED MU SICAL INSTRUMENT.

(Application filed Oct. 11, 1899.)

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

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UNITED STATES PATENT CFFICE.

ERNST EULERT AND ADOLF \VALLENSTEIN, OF NEIV YORK, N. Y.

STRINGED MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 653,550, dated July 10,1900.v

Application filed October 11,1899.

To all 1071,0177, it may concern: g 7

Be it known that we, ERNST EULERT and ADOLF WALLENSTEIN, of the city ofNew York, borough of Manhattan, in the county and State of New York,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Stringed MusicalInstruments, of which the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription.

The invention relates to citherns and like instruments; and its objectis to provide a new and improved stringed musical instrument arranged toenable the performer to conveniently and accurately play the desiredaccompaniment to the melody and to allow of playing the melody on eitherthe usual leading cithern-strings or on an open scale of strings.

The invention consists of novel features and parts and combinations ofthe same, as will be fully described hereinafter and then pointed out inthe claims.

A practical embodiment of our invention is represented in theaccompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in whichsimilar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all theviews.

Figure 1 is a plan View of theimprovement. Fig. 2 is a longitudinalsectional side elevation of the same on the line 2 2 in Fig; 1. Fig. 3is a transverse section of the same on the line 3 3 in Fig. 1, and Fig.4 is a perspec tive view of one of the movable pitch-changing bars.

The improved musical instrument is provided with a body A, having asoundingboard B, over the front portion of which is stretched the usualleading cithern-strings 0, extending over frets D, for permitting theperformer to readily play the melody with the fingers and change thepitch of the strings by fingering in the usual manner. Above thesounding-board B, next to the leading strings G, is stretched a group ofaccompaniment-- strings F, and an open scale of strings E is arrangedover the sounding-board B at the rear portion thereof, so that theaccompaniment strings F are located between the usual leading strings Oand the open scale of strings E.

The group of accompaniment-strings Fare preferably tuned to the notes F,A, O, F, A for sounding harmonic chords, and the said strings extendover frets G, spaced a suitable distance apart, pitch-changing bars IIbeing Serial No. 783,239. (NomodeL) over the strings F, adjacent to thefrets G, so that when either of the pitch-changing bars H is depressedit simultaneously engages all the strings F and moves them down upon thecorresponding fret G. Thus by moving either of the pitch-changing bars Hin a downward direction the pitch of all the strings F is simultaneouslychanged, and consequently different chords are produced when the stringsF are played.

Each of the bars H is provided with downwardly-extending guide-pins H,fitted to slide in suitable bearings in the fret-board G and thesounding-board B, and the lower ends of said guide-pins are attached toa transverse bar H normally resting against the under side of thesounding-board B and held in this position by a suitable spring H andwhen in this position the corresponding bar H is above the strings F.(See Fig. 3.) The bars H are connected with one end of ropes or cords I,extending under pulleys J, journaled on the under side of thesoundingboard, the cords I then passing through eyes K, the other endsof the cords being secured to pins L, attachedto the sounding-board B orother part of the body A. Each of the cords I extends in a notch N of abutton N, mounted to slide vertically in the soundingboard and extendingwith its upper end above the top of the sounding-board between thestrings E and F, as is plainly shown in Fig. 1, so that either of saidbuttons can be conveniently pressed by the performer to cause thecorresponding string or cord I to pull on the bar H to move the same ina downward direction and with it the pitch-changing bar H to move thestrings F down on the corre spondin g fret G for the purpose alreadymentioned. WVhen the performer releases the pressed button N ,then thespring H at once returns the bars H and H back into an uppermostposition, so that the bar H releases the strings F. During the returnmovement of the bar H the corresponding string or cord I and with it thebutton N are moved back to their normal positions, the upward sliding,

leading cithern-strings O or the open scale of strings E and theaccompaniment or harmonic chords on the strings F, the pitch of whichcan be readily changed by the performer pressing with one finger thecorresponding button N. If desired, the performer can play with one handthe melody on the open scale of strings E and the accompaniment on thestrings F by pressing the buttons Nto change the pitch of the strings Fand produce the desired chord. If desired, two performers can play onthe instrument, both executing the melody on the strings O and E, andone, in addition, playing the accompaniment-strin gs F.

Having thus fully described our invention, We claim as new and desire tosecure-by Letters Patent- 1. In a stringed musical instrument, melodystrings, a group of accompanimentstrings extending over frets, aplurality of independent movable pitch-changing bars extendingtransversely over the accompaniment-strings, and arranged betweenadjacent frets, and individual means, substantially as described, topress each of the bars and move the same in engagement with theaccompaniment-strings, to press them upon the corresponding fret, saidmeans comprising vertically-slidable buttons, and a connection betweenthe buttons and said pitch-changing bars, said buttons extending throughand above the sounding-board, as set forth.

2. A musical instrument having frets, strings extending over them,movable pitchchanging bars arranged between the frets, buttons movablein the body of the instrument, a cord connecting each button With one ofthe pitch-changing bars, and a spring for throwing each of said barsinto an inactive position.

ERNST EULERT. ADOLF WVALLENSTEIN. Witnesses:

Tnno. G. I-Iosrnn, EVERARD BoL'roN MARsHALL.

